Belt-fastener



(No Medel.)

J. H. HUMES.

BELT FASTENBR.

No. 600,644. Patented Mal15,1898.r

WT/VESSES [NI/ENTOR JOHN I-I. I-IUMES, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

BELT-FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 600,644, dated March15, 1898.

Application iiled February 20, 1897. Serial No. 624,393. (No model.)

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. I'IUMES, a citizen of the United States,residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Belt- Fasteners; and I do hereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact descrip tion of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in joining or splicing belts; andthe obj ect of the same is to so form the meeting ends of the belt thatthe same may be interlooked without the use of cement, sewing, riveting,dac., as in the ordinary fasteners now in use.

The invention also relates to the special punches or dies for formingthe interlocking portions of my fastener. f

The invention consists in the novel feature of construction hereinafterfully described, claim ed, and illustrated by the accompanying drawings,in which- Figure l is a plan view showing two pieces of belting splicedat their adjacent ends by interlocking the material of one end with thematerial of the other end in accordance with my invention, the oppositeends showing the conformation which I give to the respective ends of abelt to be united. Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the die which I useto cut the tongues upon one end of the belt, and Fig. 3 is a similarview showing the die or punch for cutting the tongue-receiving slots inthe opposite end of the belt.

The end A of the belt is provided with the transversely-extending slotsa and the inclined slots b. These inclined slots b open into thetransverse slots a, as illustrated, so as to form substantially a letterT, with the stem inclined. 'Ihe opposite end B of the belt is providedwith what may be termed dovetails, each projection consisting of atransverse head c, connected to the main portion of the belt by alongitudinal stem cl, so that substantially T-shaped tongues are formed.

Vhen it is desired to unite the belt, the tongues of the end B aretwisted so as to be nearly transverse the edge ofthe belt, wherebytheyare easily inserted within the inclined slots b of the end A of thebelt. When inserted, they are moved forward in the slots until the stemportion CZ of each tongue can be turned into engagement with thetransverse slot a, as illustrated in Fig. l. j

When 'the ends of the belt are united, as above described, it isimpossible for the tongues to be disengaged from the slots, and a smoothjoint is made, whereby the passage of the belt over the pulleys ordriving-wheels is made more easy, and stitches or rivets are dispensedwith.

For cutting out the inclined and transverse slots I provide the punch ordie D, which is provided with a cutting portion E of substantially thesame outline as the combined transverse and inclined slot. This cuttingportion E is hollow, and the handle portion D `is cut out in the rear ofthe same, so that the leather may be pushed up and out of the die. Forcutting the tongues I provide a die or punch F, provided with the twocutting-surfaces f, which are of a shape and size to cut out onehalf ofthe square slot between two adjacent tongues, and projecting from theside of one of these cutting portions is the wing or projection g, whichserves to make the slits between the heads c of the tongues, as will beclearly understood.

I am aware that it is old to provide a belt with one of its ends formedinto T-shaped tongues and its opposite end provided with transverseslots; but it is new, so far as I am aware, to provide a belt with thetransverse slots and the inclined slots opening thereinto, as above setforth. The other specific construction of my tongues and slots I claimalso to be new.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A belt-fastener having one of its members provided with transverseslots and inclined slots opening thereinto, and the other memberprovided with T-shaped tongues which are adapted to be inserted withinthe inclined slots and turned to position in the transverse slots forthe purpose of uniting the two ends of the belt, substantially as shownand described.

2. A beltfastener, made from the belt proper, having one of its membersprovided with rectangular openings located adjacent IOO to the meetingedge thereof, elongated slots opening into said rectangular openings,shoulders formed by the remaining walls of said openings, and separatedfrom one another byy said slots; and the outer member or meeting edgealso provided' with reotangularshaped openings, the belt being cut fromthe center of each opening to its edge forming T-shaped adjacenttongues, which tongues are adapted to be inserted within the elongatedslots and turned to a position in the rectangular openings in theopposite member of the belt to bring the tongues on aplane with oneanother whereby the two ends of the belt are united, substantially assetv forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

J OI-IN H. HUMES. Witnesses:

EDWARD F. STASEY, OTTO STREKER.

